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Triple-A Memphis earns spot in PCL playoffs

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"They've done a nice job. All season long we've been depleting them," Mike Matheny said of the Redbirds.

By Jenifer Langosch
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MLB.com |

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate saw its Saturday game against New Orleans suspended due to rain, but that did not stop Memphis from securing one of four berths in the Pacific Coast League playoffs.

By virtue of Nashville's loss to Round Rock, the Redbirds earned the fourth postseason berth in franchise history. It also completed Memphis' furious climb up the American Southern Division standings, as the team has gone a league-best 40-15 since trailing Nashville by 6 1/2 games on July 3.

"They've done a nice job. All season long we've been depleting them," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "[Manager] Pop [Warner] and the staff down there have done a great job of, one, getting guys ready to come and help us and, two, be able to do some patchwork and be able to compete. They did some thumping down there. That team was absolutely swinging the bats and finding ways to outscore and managing with what pitching we left."

Memphis has three regular-season games remaining, including two on Sunday. The club will pick up the suspended game in the fifth inning before playing a seven-inning game later that evening. The Redbirds will then open a best-of-five series on the road against the winner of the American North Division on Wednesday. Game 3 and -- if necessary -- Games 4 and 5 will be played at home.

The extended season will delay several of the callups the Cardinals plan to make once rosters expand on Monday. It will also give the organization an opportunity to have Michael Wacha (stress reaction in right shoulder) make a second Minor League rehab start if he needs another tuneup after Sunday's outing with the Double-A club.

Memphis will be seeking its third PCL championship, having won the crown in 2000 and 2009.